by Sedera Ranaivoarinosy

Learn Why Everyone Loves Sloan

Sloan’s 10^th album in 20 years The Double Cross came out on May 10th via Yep Roc Records but you still need some convincing before you get it? Well, everyday for 10 days, Sloan is releasing videos where their friends and admirers talk about all they love about Sloan: their favorite Sloan song, album, lyric and anything else they associate with the band.

Appearing in these videos are famous Canadians from all backgrounds, from Damian Abraham of Fucked Up to Stephan Brogen of Degrassi (no kidding). The first video, which you can view at the end of this post, shows Jason Schwartzman, Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, Dave Foley, the actor from The Kids in the Hall and Newsradio, and Sebastian Grainger of Death from Above 1979 remembering the first time they heard the band’s music.

Watch “When I first heard Sloan” below, and check back that same page to see the rest of the videos!

05.13.11

by Sedera Ranaivoarinosy

Holy Ghost! Release “Wait & See” Remix EP And Join The Identity Festival Line-Up

DFA just released the Wait & See Remix EP, which features remixes of the from Holy Ghost! single off their self-titled 2011 debut. The contributors are Moby, CFCF, Flight Facilities, Kris Menace and Richard X. I understand you may be weary of a remix EP, but listen below for a little taste:

Holy Ghost! also just announced announce they’ll take part in this summer’s first Identity Festival, a coast to coast electronic touring festival of outdoor amphitheaters. Acts such as Pretty Lights, Rusko, Disco Biscuits, Skrillex, DJ Shadow, The Crystal Method have already been confirmed for the tour as well. Check below if you can make it!

The Identity Festival will be stopping in these cities:

August 6 – Los Angeles, CA
August 11 – Chicago, IL
August 12 – Detroit, MI
August 13 – Pittsburgh, PA
August 14 – Holmdel, NJ
August 16 – Charlotte, NC
August 18 – Washington, DC
August 19 – Philadelphia, NJ
August 20 – Boston, MA
August 21 – New York, NY
August 23 – Atlanta, GA
August 24 – Tampa, FL
August 25 – Miami, FL
August 27 – Houston, TX
August 28 – Dallas, TX
August 30 – Albuquerque, NM
September 2 – San Diego, CA
September 3 – San Francisco, CA
September 4 – Irvine Meadows, CA
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV
September 10 – Seattle, WA

05.12.11

by tunmer

The Rosebuds to Tour Following Album Release

The Rosebuds duo, Ivan and Kelly, emerge from their last record, Life Like, and the end of their marriage to start anew with the release of their fifth album, Loud Planes Fly Low. With this new release, they have a chance to use their breakup to express themselves musically and artistically and it should prove to be an interesting change of pace. The track “Second Bird of Paradise” is a sexy, moody song with gorgeous strings and keyboard. Those components together with the soft vocals recall Home Video’s sound and style. Listen to “Second Bird of Paradise” on their website and look for Loud Planes Fly Low on Merge Records out on June 7.

The Rosebuds Summer Tour Dates:
46/10 – Brooklyn Arts Center – Wilmington, NC

6/11 – Kings – Raleigh, NC

6/15 – Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall – Asheville, NC

6/16 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA

6/17 – Proud Larry’s – Oxford, MS

6/18 – Bottletree – Birmingham, AL

6/19 – Stickyz Chicken Shack – Little Rock, AR

6/21 – Spanish Moon – Baton Rouge, LA

6/23 – Club DaDa – Dallas, TX

6/24 – The Parish – Austin, TX

6/25 – Fitzgerald’s Downstairs – Houston, TX

6/28 – Santa Fe Brewing Company – Santa Fe, NM

6/29 – Solar Culture – Tuscon, AZ

6/30 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA

7/01 – The Satellite – Los Angeles, CA

7/02 – Cellar Door – Visalia, CA

7/05 – SOHO Music Club – Santa Barbara, CA

7/06 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA

7/08 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR

7/09 – The Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA

7/10 – The Shakedown – Bellingham, WA

7/12 – Media Club – Vancouver, Canada

7/14 – The Neurolux – Boise, ID

7/15 – Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT

7/16 – Hi-Dive – Denver, CO

7/19 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN

7/20 – House of Rock – Eau Claire, WI

7/21 – UW Union Terrace – Madison, WI

05.12.11

by cst2

Pygmalion Festival Announces Dates and Initial Lineup

The Pygmalion Festival (located in the idyllic Midwestern town of Champaign-Urbana, Ill.) recently announced their band lineup for this year’s music extravaganza. Currently the September 21-24 festival will include Japandroids, Toro y Moi, Deerhoof, Viva Voce, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Hood Internet, Mansions on the Moon, Ava Luna, Brass Bed, Adam Arcuragi, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Ivan and Alyosha, The Parsons Red Heads and more with Explosions in the Sky headlining. This year the festival will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the indie label Polyvinyl Records. The all-day outdoor Polyvinyl showcase will feature the artists from the label’s roster including Deerhoof, Japandroids, Xiu Xiu, STRFKR, Owen, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, and Asobi Seksu as well as the long awaited reunion of local heroes Braid. Early Bird Festival passes go on sale Friday May 6, 2011 at 12 p.m. CST and cost $60. The price will be increased to $65 and $70 at later dates. The festival pass guarantees admission into every show at the festival, depending on capacity limitations. Single tickets for every show will be available as well.

Single show tickets for Explosions in the Sky will cost $20 in advance. The Polyvinyl 15 Year Anniversary Party will cost $25 in advance. Both of those shows will go on sale Friday May 13, 2011 at 12 p.m. online and at local Champaign-Urbana outlets.

05.11.11

by cst2

Oberhofer Announces US Tour With Neon Indian & Sleigh Bells Including Dates With Cults, Eternal Summers & The Beets

This is what you need to know about the band Oberhofer: they sound fantastic. The 7″ they just released (“Away Frm U” / Dead Girls Dance”) is phenomenal. The guitars wail as though they are looking for release from this world, the drums are amazing, the entire sound is like nirvana for the ears. The lyrics do leave something small to be desired. Maybe it stems from Brad Oberhofer’s age (he is 19 after all), but the text-language spelled track names rub me the wrong way. The only redeeming quality to these lyrics is the way Oberhofer sings them. There is such an air of sincerity in his voice that you almost forget about the words themselves. Almost. Then again, I was that kid who sat and poured over lyrics so perhaps I am a bit jaded. Either way, this band sounds incredible live. There is so much energy and passion in these shows that you can’t help but fall in love with them. So, here lies the Oberhofer recipe to success. Record some badass songs in your parents basement in Tacoma, WA. When that house burns down, shake the loss off and move to New York, find a new band with an incredible sound and start shaping your art. See this band live. Do it now. Below are the tour dates for this summer.

5/14 – Coco 66 – Brooklyn, NY !!
5/16 – Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA ^
5/17 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN ^
5/18 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI ^
5/19 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
5/20 – Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB ^
5/22 – Republik – Calgary, AB ^ #
5/23 – Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB ^ #
5/25 – The Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC ^ #
5/26 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR ^ #
5/30 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA ^ #
5/31 – Satellite Club – Los Angeles, CA %
6/1 – Casbah – San Diego, CA & @
6/8 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
6/10 – Midpoint Music Festival – Cincinnati, OH
6/11 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH ^
6/12 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD ^

* w/ Cults
^ w/ Neon Indian
# w/ Sleigh Bells
% w/ Hands
& w/ The Beets
@ w/ Eternal Summers

!! w/ Widowspeak & Vacations

05.10.11

by wesleyambrecht

Thao and Mirah Sing For American Teachers

Thao and Mirah may have released their self-titled debut record last week, but the pair are only just getting started. Starting this week Thao and Mirah will hit the road for a nationwide tour. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the duo have provided music for American Teacher, a new film that chronicles the stories of four teachers living and working in disparate urban and rural areas of the country.

This film is the result of more than three years of collecting footage, facts, and interviews with teachers, students, and prominent education leaders across the nation, including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Dr. Sabrina Laine, and Dr. Eric Hanushek.

Head over to The Bay Bridge website for exclusive music from Thao and Mirah, and check out a full list of dates down below.

Upcoming Tour Dates

05.05 – Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Biltmore

05.06 – Bellingham, WA @ WWU

05.07 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile

05.08 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

05.09 – Olympia, WA @ Northern

06.02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center

06.03 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle

06.05 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ Lee’s Palace

06.07 – Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bears

06.08 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg